Dual purpose suction nozzle



Oct. 28, 1958 e. E. LOFGREN DUAL PURPOSE SUCTION NOZZLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 19, 1954 INVENTOR M Oct. 28, 1958 e. E. LOFGREN 2,357,614

DUAL PURPOSE SUCTION NOZZLE Filed July 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR MATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 2,857,614 Patented Oct.-28, 1958 Gustaf Einar Lofgren, Riverside,

trolux Corporation, tion of Delaware Application July 19,1954, SerialNo. 444,003 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-339) Conn., assignor to Elec- OldGreenwich, Comm, 2 corpora- My invention relates to cleaning tools forvacuum cleaners and more particularly to a dual purpose tool, that is, atool provided with two different types of suction nozzles thereon whichmay be used selectively in order to clean different kinds of surfaces.

More particularly my invention relates to a combination rug nozzle andfloor brush. It is highly desirable that such a tool be made as low aspossible in order that it may be used to clean underneath low furnituresuch as beds, sofas and the like. It has long been known to provide atool of this nature with a swivel mounting on a suction conduit'so thatthe tool merely may be turned over when it is desired to change from onetype of nozzle to the other, as for instance is shown in Patent No.1,849,515 issued March 15, 1932 to Lars Ell. However, in order to havethe necessary cross-sectional area of the suction conduit, the diameterof this conduit must be such as to require an overall height of the toolwhich is greater than desirable, particularly when one of the tools is afloor brush nozzle which itself must have a greater vertical dimensionthan a rug nozzle because of the length of the brush bristles.

' In accordance with my invention a substantial reduction in the heightof the tool is obtained without reducing the cross-sectional area of thesuction conduit by making the latter flat or oblong with its minor axisextending in a vertical direction. This of course prevents the tool frombeing rotatably mounted on the suction conduit, and in order to changefrom one type of nozzle to the other the tool is removed from thesuction conduit, turned over and again connected to the conduit.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which form a part of the specificationand in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of my invention with therug nozzle in operative position;

Fig. 2 isa front view of the nozzle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is 'a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the nozzle shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 i across-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of .Fig. 1;

.Fig. 6 is across-sectional -view similar to Fig. 5; but with thecleaning tool removed from the suction conduit;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5, but with thecleaning tool connected to the conduit with the floor brush in operativeposition; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference character 10designates generally a cleaning tool on opposite faces of which areformed a floor brush nozzle 12 and a rug nozzle 14. As shown, the tool10 includes a casting 16 of metal or plastic. Secured to one face of thecasting 16 by means of screws 18 is a stamping or the like 20 which isformed with a central opening 22.

The lengthwise edges of the stamping are formed as channels 24 which arereceived within grooves 26 formed in the casting 16. Strips of bristles28 are receivedin, these channels and may be retained in place thereinby the outer flanges 30 of the channels being crimped inwardly. Thestamping 20 and the bristles ZStogether constitute the floor brushportion of the cleaning tool.

Secured to the opposite face of the casting16 by means of screws 32 is apair of glider pads 34. Clamped between these pa-ds and the castingalong the forward :edge of the latter is a stamping 36 whichconstitutesthe forward lip of the rug nozzle. As shown, this stampingmay be formed with a rib portion 38 adjacent .to each end and transverseribs 40 near the central portion. Also retained in place by means of thepads 34 is a rod ,42 which is cylindrical on one side and formed withteeth 44 on the other. This rod is rotatably mounted and may be turnedby means of a handle 46 secured to onev end,

thereof and received in a recess 4% formed in casting 16. This rodconstitutes the rear lip of the rug nozzle.

As is seen more clearly in Figs. 5 through 7, the casting 16 is formedwith a passageway 50 which extends from the opening 22 in the floorbrush to an opening 52 formed in a face of the casting 16 which isintermediate of the faces on which are formed the rug nozzle and floorbrush, respectively. As is seen more particularly in Fig. .2 the opening52 is substantially flattened with its minor axis extending in thedirection normal to the faces on which the suction nozzles are formed,and moreover, the opening is asymmetric with referenceto a horizontalaxis extending centrally of the opening and lying in the plane thereof.

The casting 16 is formed with a similar passageway 54 which extends fromwithin the space bounded by the lips 36 and 42 of the rug nozzle to theother intermediate face of the casting, ing'56. This opening is of thesame size and shape as opening 52, but reversely positioned with respectthere-.

to, as will be seen from a comparison of Fig. 2 with Fig. 3, that is,the long side of the opening 56 is adjacent to the rug nozzle face ofthe tool, while the long sideof opening 52 is adjacent to the floorbrush face.

Reference character 66 designates generally a suction.

conduit having an end portion 62 the cross-sectionof the outer surfaceof which is of the same size and .shape as the openings 52 and 56 and isadapted to be received selectively in either of these openings.Rotatably mounted in the other end of suction conduit 61) is an elbow 64which is adapted to be connected to a source of suetion, as by means ofthe usual wand and flexible hose of a vacuum cleaner.

It will be noted that the flattened end section 62.0f the suctionconduit is eccentrically arranged with respect to the circular portionof the conduit which receives-the elbow 64. in other words, thiscircular part of the conduit extends. further .to one side of theflattened end section than it does ,to the other side. Extending formerside of the suction conduit is a pair of spaced projections 66. As willbe seen from Figs. 5 and 7, these projections extend a sufficientdistance laterally from the conduit so as to extend beyond either thefloor brush bristles 28 or the rug nozzle lips 36 and 42 when thesuction nozzle is connected to the openings 56 or 52, respectively. Thereason for this will appear hereinafter. Pivotally mounted between theprojections 66 is a spring biased hook or latch 68. Casting 16 is formedwith a pair of recesses 79 and 72 which provides surfaces engageable bythe hook or latch of the suction conduit is received in the openings 52or 56, respectively, so as to firmly secure the suction conduit inplace.

where it terminates-in an openfrom. the

68 when the portion 62 The above described combination tool operates asfollows:

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 through 5, that is withthe end section 62 of the suction conduit received in the opening 56, itwill be seen that the passageway 54 leading from the rug nozzle isplaced in communi cation with the suction conduit 6t) and with the elbow64 which is' connected to a source of suction; Consequently, the toolmay be used to clean rugs, carpets and similar soft floor covering andif it is desired to clean underneath low furniture the elbow 64 may beswiyeled approximately. 90 so as to lower the wand connected thereto toa position substantially parallel to the floor. The overall height ofthe nozzle being only slightly greater than the diameter of the elbow64, the tool may be passed under very low furniture so as to clean thefloor covering thereunder without making it necessary to move thefurniture.

Due to the fact that the elbow 64 is rotatably connected to the suctionconduit 60, it would be possible for the suction conduit and nozzle tobe rotated 180 from the position shown in-Fig. 5 so that the-floor brushwould be on the floor and the rug nozzle would be up in the air. Underthese conditions, all of the air would still pass through thepassageway'54 from the rug nozzle and would do no cleaning whatsoever.In order to guard against the possibility of the nozzle being improperlyplaced in this condition, the projections 66 are made to extend beyondthe bristles so that if the operator attemptsto incorrectly position thenozzle, the projections will strike the floor and thus indicate to theoperator that the nozzle is incorrectly positioned.

When it is desired to use the floor, brush for cleaning hardwood floorsor hard surface floor coverings, the latch 68 is pivoted to the positionshown in Fig. 6 and the end 62 of the suction conduit withdrawn from theopening 56. The cleaning tool 10 is then turned through 180 about itslongitudinal axis 'so as to bring the opening 52 in line with the end ofthe suction conduit, whereupon the end section 62 of the latter isinserted into the opening 52, as is shown in Fig. 7. In this positioncommunication is established through the passageway 50 from the floorbrush to the suction conduit.

As above pointed out, the openings 52 and 56 are asymmetrical. If theopenings, and the end section 62 of the suction conduit were symmetricalit would be possible to put the parts together in an improper position.Thus, it would be possible to remove the cleaning tool 10 from itsconnection with the suction nozzle, as shown in Fig. 5, turn thecleaning tool 180 about its lateral axis so as to bring the floor brushface of the tool into operativeposition with respect to the floor andthen inert the end section 62 back into the same opening 56. However, ifthis were done the suction would be applied to the rug nozzle which nowwould be off the floor and hence no cleaning would result; By making theopenings 52 and 56 asymmetrical, it is impossible to improperly connectthe parts together.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a combination tool which maybe readily changed from one type of nozzle to the other and which has avery small vertical 4 dimension, thus making it usable under very lowfurniture. While I have shown and described one preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it is' to be understood'that this has been done forpurposes of illustration only and the scope of my invention is not to belimited thereby, but is to be determined from the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner tool, a tubular elbow, a suction conduit attachedto said elbow by a swivel joint, a nozzle member having dissimilarsurface contacting faces located on opposite sides thereof and with airpassages leading one from each of said faces and terminating inflattened openings at substantially the same level in oppositeintermediate faces of said nozzle member whereby said tool is ofrelatively low height, eachof said flattened openings being asymmetricalin design, with reference to a horizontal axis extending centrally ofthe opening and lying in the plane thereof, and of the same sizeand'shape as the other but disposed reversely with respect to' eachother,

said suction conduit having an end portion corresponding in size andshape to each of said openings and selectively engageable with either ofsaid openings so that the proper surface contacting face of saidnozzle'member will be in communication with said suction conduit.-

2. In a vacuum cleaner tool, a tubular elbow, a suction conduit attachedto said elbow by a telescopic swivel joint, a nozzle member havingdissimilar surface contacting faces located on opposite sides thereofand with air passages leading one from each of said faces andterminating in flattened openings at substantially the same level inopposite intermediate faces of said nozzle member whereby said nozzlemember is of relatively low height, each of said openings beingasymmetrical in design,

with reference to a horizontal axis extending centrally of the openingand lying in the plane thereof, and of the same size and-shape anddisposed reversely with respect to each other, said' suction conduithaving an end-portion generally of the size and shape of each of'saidopenings and selectively receivable in'either of said openings so thatthe proper surface contacting face of said nozzle will be incommunication with said suction con 'duit.

3. The structure of claim 1 having latch means for retaining said nozzlemember and suction conduit in assembled relation. 7

4. The structure of claim 1 having latch means for retaining said nozzlemember and suction conduit in assembled relation and a pair of guardingprojections, on

at each side of said latch means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

